This invention relates generally to a class of lightweight aircraft which receives its lift from an inflatable canopy type of flexible airfoil wing. This aircraft invention may be a model aircraft of the remote radio controlled type, or may be a type of lightweight aircraft referred to as "ultralights". Model airplanes and ultralights known today for recreational and sporting purposes more commonly feature the use of relatively rigid wings as part of a glider type air frame mounting a lightweight powered propeller. Such aircraft although exceedingly light in weight are dimensionally extensive and bulky and therefore pose ground transportation problems as well as storaqe problems.
In comparison with the foregoing rigid wing type of aircraft, there is shown in applicant's previous U.S. Pat. No. 4,934,630, issued Jun. 19, 1990, a powered flight vehicle having a flexible airfoil canopy connected thereto by load suspension lines in the flight condition. This provides a substantially smaller aircraft that is collapsible to a compact condition for ground transport and storage. Such aircraft are also known, for example, in a published U.S Air Force Technical Report AFFDL-72-73, entitled "Parafoil Powered Flight Performance", by John D. Nicolaides, which, however, was found to have various control and handling problems, and until the aircraft shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,934,630 was invented, the inflated airfoil canopy type of aircraft was not theretofore seriously considered as a marketable aircraft.